The familiar orange glow has returned to Fort Collins as wildfires sweep across the West and Canada.
Wildfire and smoke maps show Fort Collins is covered in “moderately dense” smoke clouds, with numerous fires burning in other states to the north, southwest and northwest.
Northwesterly winds were blowing in Fort Collins Monday morning, with the National Weather Service attributing smoke to fires burning across the western United States and Canada.
Just after 3 p.m. Monday, the Livermore Fire Protection District reported that it had extinguished a fire known as the “Live Water Fire.” The map shows its location on Route 80E in Larimer County, just off U.S. Highway 287.
The department did not report the size of the fire.
The fire department said in a post on
What do weather forecasts say about smoke?
The National Weather Service in Boulder said there will be “some smoke” in the sky Monday, with most of the smoke staying “high in the sky.”
The weather service said in a post on the X platform Monday afternoon that the weather was expected to continue throughout the week.
Which warnings are in effect due to air quality
The Colorado Department of Health and Environment said visibility in the Front Range will be poor on Monday and could get worse on Tuesday.
For those with unusual sensitivities, the range of particulate matter in the air on Monday and Tuesday should be moderate to unhealthy.
The department said people with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, young children and the elderly can reduce their exercise or go indoors when smoke is present.
Areas affected by the smoke include Fort Collins, Boulder, Denver and surrounding areas, according to the agency.
Additionally, ozone levels on Monday and Tuesday ranged from unhealthy for sensitive groups to completely unhealthy.
People with heart or lung disease, as well as the elderly and children, are urged to avoid strenuous or prolonged exertion on these two days. The health department advises all others to limit strenuous or prolonged outdoor activities.
